


AS TIME GOES BY

by SapphirePrince



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Airplane Crashes, But wait theres more!, Character Death, F/F, F/M, FBI Agent Stiles Stilinski, Farmer Derek Hale, Gay Jackson Whittemore, Gay Stiles Stilinski, Jealous Derek, Lawyer Jackson Whittemore, M/M, Match made in hell?, Orphaned Child, Panic Attacks, Past Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Stackson Bromance - Freeform, Sterek end game, Void Stiles (past?)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:34:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphirePrince/pseuds/SapphirePrince
Summary: Scott and Allison spend their anniversary in France at one of the Argent estates but due to tragic events, their daughter is orphaned.  Its up to Stiles and Derek to co-parent and raise her while trying not to kill each other.  Will the two men be able to give the little girl a happy home, or will she end up a double orphan?----The story concept is based on the movie Life as We Know It.  Characters, relationships, and additional tags will be updated as the story progresses.----Blah blah blah, disclosure, blah blah blah---WARNING:  The first few chapters are pretty heavy and may contain triggering content.  Please be advised.
Relationships: Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin/Jordan Parrish, Melissa McCall/Sheriff Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski & Jackson Whittemore, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes
Comments: 11
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mistressoflothorien](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistressoflothorien/gifts).



> Hello friends! Welcome to my return to the land of writing. I plan on posting weekly on Monday and will let you know if the chapter contains any potential triggers (that I can think of), if I miss something, please let me know. I have finished the first 4 chapters as of posting this so even if I fall behind a little, I have some cushion to keep you updated weekly.
> 
> Your comments and constructive feedback are always welcome! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> \----  
> CHAPTER ONE POSSIBLE TRIGGER: AIRPLANE CRASH

Scott couldn't believe his life. If you told him ten years ago that he would be married to the love of his life and spending his third wedding anniversary at Le Château d'Argent, he would have laughed in your face. Sure, the 16-year-old boy would have believed you that he would be married to Allison Argent, but he would never have imagined the rest. When they met, Scott had no inkling of the life his future in-laws led, nor at the time was it relevant. That is until the night his best friend talked him into looking for a dead body in the woods. That night changed their lives forever. Scott walked out of the woods a newly-bitten werewolf and Stiles, well, Stiles had charged headfirst into the supernatural with only the internet and a baseball bat as his tools. 

Allison McCall walked out to join her husband on the balcony overlooking the Château’s vineyard. Allison knew she would find her husband out here; its where he spent every [ sunrise ](https://www.mediastorehouse.com/latest/20191004-jai-3/france-marne-champagne-ardenne-ville-dommange-19478566.html)since they arrived in France. “I can hardly get you out of bed to get ready for work, yet you’ve not missed one sunrise. What am I going to do with you, Scott?” Allison teased her husband as she joined and handed him a fresh cup of coffee. “If we had mornings like this, it wouldn’t be a problem,” he teased back. Allison just rolled her eyes at Scott, knowing fully well that she wouldn’t be able to win a debate about this. The mornings in Beacon Hills could be gorgeous, but their apartment didn’t have a view overlooking the preserve from a hill.

They had enjoyed a fortnight in France, touring the estate’s winery, and getting to sample the vintages reserved for the Argent family, shopping, and museums in Paris, touring the Palace at Versailles, spending much needed time with just themselves. It was a dream come true, but two weeks was a long time to be away from their baby, Lily. It had taken a long time to convince Allison that Lily would be safe at home; who better to babysit for two weeks than a semi-retired nurse and county sheriff, who doubled as her grandparents? Allison wanted this trip as much as Scott did, but this was the first time she would be away from her baby for more than a quick weekend getaway. Eventually, she relented and convinced herself that her baby would be safe with grandma. Scott would never admit that the daily video calls were just as much to soothe the protective papa wolf in him, as it was for Allison. 

It was a bittersweet morning for the McCalls, they would be leaving this gorgeous Château and returning back to their regular lives, but in less than 19 hours, they would be holding their baby girl in their arms again. The couple stayed on the balcony for as long as they could, enjoying a breakfast brought up by a member of the household staff who worked for the estate, regardless if an Argent was in residence or not.

Due to the time difference, the McCalls opted to send a quick text to their family and friends back home that they were on their way to the airport and would be seeing them soon. The ride to Charles de Gaulle was uneventful, as most rides to the airport are. Their driver asked questions about their trip and how they enjoyed France. Allison acted as a translator for Scott, since his French, despite his attempts, was abysmal. The time from arrival at the terminal to sitting down at their gate was a blur. Having purchased first-class seats, most of the work of checking in was done for them. 

\-------

It was a typical spring morning in Beacon Hills, the birds chirping in the trees, people starting their mornings setting out on their commute to work, and Stiles complaining about his father waking him up before he had to be out of bed. Stiles’ career as a field agent for the FBI may have been short-lived. Still, the agency recognized an asset when they saw one, offering him a position in their newly formed Supernatural Investigations Division. Stiles’ debriefing after Monroe exposed the supernatural world and his involvement with the notorious Derek Hale, one of the Agency’s most-wanted individuals, led the Director to offer him a position in the newly formed department. 

Stiles did move out on his own and had a lovely, if overpriced apartment in Los Angeles, but he still visited his dad at least once every other month. With Scott and Allison’s pending return from France, Stiles chose this weekend to see his dad, and if he got to spend time with his favorite niece, that was just a bonus. “Five more minutes, dad,” Stiles mumbled from the nest of blankets and pillows he somehow managed to make during the night. Noah just shook his head and reminded his son that Lily didn’t grant an extra five minutes of sleep in the morning. With that, Stiles surrendered to the morning and made his way downstairs to his niece and coffee. “Mornin’ Melissa,” Stiles greeted his soon-to-be (official) step-mother with a kiss as she handed him a fresh mug of coffee. “I see somethings never change, no matter how old they get, Noah.” The two parents sharing a laugh while Stiles glared at them until Lily joined her grandparents in their laughter.

Turning his attention to Lily, Stiles sat next to her as Melissa handed him a plate of berries and cereal for her breakfast. “There is more where that came from, so don’t let him eat all your strawberries, Lily.” Feigning offense Stiles grasped his heart and turned to the toddler: “You don’t mind if your favorite guncle has a strawberry, do you puppy?” Using her new favorite word, Lily responded as any well-adjusted toddler would - “NO!” Looking for support, Stiles found none, especially not from his father, who sat reading the news on the tablet Stiles got him for Christmas. “I’m glad to see you’re starting to use that grandpa.” Noah glared at his delinquent child. “I’m not so old that I’m not able to arrest your punk ass, son.” Melissa brought the carafe of coffee to the table and smacked the semi-retired sheriff on the shoulder. “Watch what you say around the baby, you know she picks up everything you say. I don’t want to have to call Jordan and have him arrest you.” Before the smug look on Stiles’ face could settle in, she turned on him, “and don’t you antagonize your father, or I’ll get the kanima venom Jackson left last time he came to visit.” Knowing that she was using her “serious nurse” face, Stiles knew that this was no idle threat. Just as he was about to say something snarky back, Noah’s tablet announced it was receiving a video call.

Noah quickly identified the call was coming in from Scott since Stiles had programed the info and used a picture of Scott’s graduation. No one was surprised that Scott graduated UC Davis, except for Scott, that is. He had been awake the night before panicking that the chancellor would tell him he wasn’t going to graduate when they called his name at the ceremony. Noah answered the call, but that’s where his technical savvy seemed to stop that morning. The picture was choppy, and the audio was cutting in and out for the first few seconds. Eventually, Allison’s face came on screen a few seconds before the call quality improved. “Finally, can you hear us now?” she asked. “Yes, how are you? You’re not supposed to be back here for a while yet, did you have a layover someplace?” Noah was looking confused, mentally going over their flight details. “No,” Scott answered, sticking his head into the frame. “We’re someplace over the Atlantic, using the planes crappy WiFi.” This seemed to alleviate Noah’s concern that he had forgotten something important. Stiles took the tablet away from his father and set it up in front of Lily and himself. “We all know you didn’t call to talk to my dad, but as you can see, the puppy is awake and having her breakfast.” Hearing her parent’s voices, Lily perked up and made grabby hands at the screen. “Mamma! Mamma! Mamma!” 

The look on Allison’s face was all anyone needed to know that her heart melted all over again at seeing her daughter. “Hi Lily, are you being good for grandma and grandpa?” Knowing that her daughter was more interested in figuring out how her mother was in the tablet than what she said, Allison didn’t wait for a reply. She and Scott held a onesided conversation with their daughter for a few minutes, before the connection started to glitch out again. Seeing this, Stiles took over the conversation. The link came in and out, so Scott ended the call letting his best friend know they should probably go; they seemed to hit a particularly bad patch of turbulence. The two men exchanged goodbyes, and Stiles let him know they would see them in a few hours at the airport.

The next hour in the Stilinski home was reasonably uneventful if you called attempting to bathe a toddler uneventful. Melissa came back from bathtime, looking like she was the one who took a bath with all her clothes on. Lily was ready for her morning playtime with “uncca sty.” The two set up in the living room, and Stiles put an aquarium background on the TV set to zen music. They colored, played with blocks, and Lily brought her favorite book for Stiles to read to her, three times. Just as Lily was about to demand a fourth reading, Melissa came and rescued Stiles. “Ok, little miss, how about we go to the store and get some groceries for grandpa?” If there was anything Lily loved more than her favorite book, it was her grandma. “And if you’re good, we can stop and visit the doggies at grandpa’s work.” Melissa knew her granddaughter would be good for her, she always was, and the police dogs loved Lily almost as much as she loved them. “Woof, woof,” Lily mimicked the sound. “That’s right, the doggies say “woof.” Stiles smiled and gave his niece a kiss on the cheek before handing her off to Melissa.

\--------------

_Ding, ding_

“Mesdames et messieurs, le commandant de bord a allumé le panneau d'attache de la ceinture de sécurité car nous subissons des turbulences, veuillez rester assis jusqu'à ce que le commandant de bord éteigne la lumière”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has lit the fasten seatbelt sign as we are experiencing some turbulence, please remain seated until the captain turns the light back off.”

Scott had learned on the flight to France that the announcements would be given in French than English, so he wasn’t concerned when the flight attendant began speaking. Besides, if there was anything he needed to know immediately, Allison would tell him. “I guess that means we’ll have to wait for a snack.” Scott joked while his wife just rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t understand how you still have the appetite of a teenage boy, even with everything.” Scott put on his very best sad puppy eyes for her just as the plane hit another rough patch of turbulence, jarring them all in their seats.

It wasn’t until after the third, hard shake that the captain came on. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing mechanical difficulties and will need to make an emergency water landing. We still have three functioning engines, and the Royal Canadian Navy has responded. They have a vessel not far from our target landing area. Please remain seated and fasten your seatbelts. Flight attendants, secure the cabin for an emergency landing.”

The passengers were surprisingly calm for the news that they would be landing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. That is until the plane jerked another time, and the cabin was filled with an eerie silence. Scott looked at his wife, and it hit them both simultaneously, the sound they weren’t hearing. The engine the plane was gliding in the air without any working engines. Just as the plane started to tilt forward and go into free fall, the captain came back over the speaker, but no one could hear what he had to say over their own panicked cries. Scott tried to get his tablet to call home so they could update their family. Still, the wifi must have been knocked out, or it was because too many people were attempting to do the same thing on the poor service that he was unable to get the call to go through. 

Scott embraced his wife and held her tight, hoping to shield her from any harm as the plane plummeted towards the ocean, knowing that he would heal faster than she would. “I love you, Allison,” and before she could answer, the plane collided with the Atlantic Ocean, tossing them about like rag-dolls. The last thing Scott saw before the world went black was a bag from the overhead bin flying directly at him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! I'm going to be extra busy tomorrow, so I wanted to post a new chapter for you all today.
> 
> ⚠️WARNING(S)⚠️ FOR THIS CHAPTER: Panic attack mentioned - more reference to death.

As Melissa pulled in to the sheriff department’s visitor parking, Lily lit up and started barking from her car seat. “That’s right, sweetie, we’re gonna see the doggies, but first we have to say hi to grandpa and the sheriff.” Walking into the station, Lily was in her kingdom; there wasn’t a deputy or civilian volunteer in the building she didn’t have wrapped around her little finger. The worst of all was her “boyfriend” - Sheriff Jordan Parrish. “Grandpa!” Lily called as they were greeted by Noah at the reception desk. “I see Jordan put you someplace to keep you out of his hair.” Melissa teased the former sheriff. Taking his granddaughter into his arms while giving Melissa a quick kiss in greeting. “One of the new deputies is out sick, so I offered to sit up here since you two were coming in.” Melissa figured that was half true since Noah was ignoring the rigging phone behind him. “Do you want to see Jordan, Lilly? Let’s go see the doggies.” Noah carried his now barking granddaughter into the station and into Jordan’s office.

“DOGGIE!” Lily shouted as she squirmed in her grandpa’s arms and reached for Jordan. No one was sure if she called him “doggie” because he took her to see the police dogs at the station, or if she had some understanding of what Jordan was. Either way, the deputies had a field day with the dog jokes for about a day after a Lily visit. The people of Beacon County elected Jordan because he ran with the honesty of being a supernatural entity, so it was clear they saw the benefit of embracing the supernatural. This still didn’t mean Jordan was 100% open about what he was with everyone. Even though they had almost been 10 years since they had been exposed, most people were still skittish about werewolves, so there was no telling how they would react to a hellhound. 

“Hi Lily, how’s Beacon County’s most adorable today?” Jordan knew he was a favorite of the girl’s because there were only a handful of people that she would make grabby hands for when she was with grandpa. “Doggie! Woof, woof, woof!” Jordan could only laugh as he shifted so Lily could sit on his knee while finishing an email. “The doggies have missed you too, Lily. Let uncle Jordan finish this email, and then we can go see them. How does that sound?” Her answer was understandable to anyone. Lilly bounced, using the desk as leverage as she continued to bark. This, of course, made it difficult for Jordan to finish the email. With a sigh, he resigned to losing the battle of patience and scooped the toddler up into his arms. On his way out of his office, Jordan let his newest deputy/assistant know that he would be out back with the dogs as was commanded by Queen Lily. Jordan had only made it a few steps out of his office before Lily started to scream and cry, seemingly for no reason. Melissa rushed to her side, checking to see if Jordan’s badge poked her or what could be causing the outburst. 

Of course, her phone would ring when Lily was having a meltdown; nothing was ever simple in this town. Melissa handed Lily to Noah and answered when she saw the call was coming in from AirFrance. “Hello...yes, this is she…” Melissa stood speechless, as her phone slipped out of her hand and hit the floor. The pain and fear slowly crawling across her face as the first tears started to form. It was then that Noah saw her face and knew something was wrong. The two men quickly moved Melissa and Lily back into Jordan’s office to try and put together exactly what was happening. Jordan stood to the side, trying to comfort Lily while Noah tried to discover what had unhinged Melissa. Noah hadn’t felt this helpless since Claudia, his first wife, had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia all those years ago. “Melissa, honey, can you tell me what happened, what’s wrong? I can’t try to help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.” No matter how hard Melissa tried to articulate what she had been told, she couldn’t say the words. Saying the words would mean it was true, saying it would mean it wasn’t some horrible nightmare. Not wanting to intrude on the family moment, Jordan excused himself with Lily, “I’ll see if the dogs can cheer her up, give you two some time.” Noah smiled up at his former deputy and thanked him. 

Jordan only made it a few steps out of his office when the TV playing some cable news network caught his attention. It was more that every deputy in the building was transfixed on the screen that worried Jordan, but it wasn’t until he read the headline at the bottom of the screen that his heart dropped. “Sherrif...you might want to see this,” Jordan called behind him to his friend.

_ AirFrance flight 0139 from Paris, Charles de Gaulle to San Francisco, has crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.  _

The image was their nightmares come true, bits of metal and luggage floating on the surface alongside Navy and Coast Guard rescue vessels. Noah’s world went silent. He couldn’t hear Jordan trying to get his attention, or the other deputies offering their sympathy. The only words Noah heard were Anderson Cooper’s. “The Canadian Coast Guard reports there are no survivors.” Noah finally returned to reality, ran back to Melissa, fell to his knees, embraced her, and began to cry with her. The impact of what that call must have hit Jordan. Melissa was being told her only child was dead. She would never see his lopsided grin ever again and Lily. Poor Lily would never see her parents again; in a few years, would she even remember them? Jordan did his best to hold back the tears for Lily’s sake, as he was still holding her. Bouncing her a little in his arms, he looked down at the newly orphaned child. “How about we see what the doggies are doing?” He almost convinced himself that he hid the tinge of sadness in his voice. It was the smile on the little girl’s face that gave him the resolve to put on a smile and walk away from his friend and out to the play yard behind the station.

\-----

The problem with being Lydia Martin was how separated her life had become post-university. Like Stiles, Lydia settled in Los Angeles and built her empire. Lydia had become one of LA’s most in-demand interior designer and image consultants in just a few short years. The problem with being based in LA for work was that Lydia’s boyfriend lived about 300 miles north of her in Beacon Hills. The couple had talked about Jordan relocating and applying for openings in the LA Sheriff’s department. Jordan had started looking into the openings. That was until Noah announced he would not be seeking reelection when his term ended. Lydia had finished the discussion and began working on Jordan’s campaign. As much as she wanted Jordan with her in LA, she also recognized the opportunity for him. The decision was made, Jordan would live in Beacon Hills, and Lydia would spend as much time working remotely as possible. Naturally, Lydia decorated their home. It had the perfect blend of masculine and feminine touches that it wouldn’t feel like it was just her space. 

Lydia has flown up to Beacon Hills a few days ahead of Allison and Scott’s return home, so she could decorate their apartment for a small welcome home party. Just their friend group and parents. She was putting the finishing touches on the flowers when a feeling came over Lydia that she hoped never to have again. It was the same urge she felt during their sophomore year of high school. Only this time, instead of choking on the scream, Lydia doubled over, and the name signaled the end of her life. “ALISON.” The windows in the apartment shook, picture frames shattered, and Lydia Martin dissolved into tears.

\---------

Once Melissa and Lily had left, Stiles took a moment to finish his coffee before starting to clean up from playtime. Stiles was locked in a battle of wills with the last dinosaur toy while trying to access his spark and put the toy away. Eventually, he gave up and picked the triceratops up and put it in the box. “I can make tree dust fly 50 feet and make a circle, but I can’t move a toy. That’s bullshit.” Stiles didn’t expect anything to happen; he had come to terms with his abilities years ago. It still didn’t stop him from trying, though. “One of these days, I’m going to win triceratops, just you wait.” The plastic toy sat staring up at Stiles as if to mock him. Stiles decided he should clean the kitchen before Melissa got back with the groceries; it was the least he could do in exchange for not having to pay for a hotel room while he was in town.

Stiles opened the music app on his phone and started one of the random cleaning playlists. As the music began, Styles was glad no one was home. There is no way he could shake his ass to “ [ Conga ](https://youtu.be/54ItEmCnP80?t=57) ” if his dad was home. Maybe if he got Melissa drunk, but no way in hell if his dad was home. Stiles lost himself in the music as he cleaned; he was halfway through the chorus with Lizzo when the music skipped. Figuring it must be the wifi, which had always been spotty in the kitchen, he didn’t give it a second thought until the song changed halfway through the one that was playing. The music pulled Stiles out of his head, not because he didn’t like Billy Joel, but he just found it odd that “ [ Lullabye ](https://youtu.be/dcnd55tLCv8) ” would be on an upbeat cleaning playlist. Stiles walked over to his phone to switch to another upbeat song when he noticed all the notifications he had from news sites and twitter. “What the hell blew up now?” He thought to himself as he picked up his phone and opened Twitter. 

Trending was a photo of the remains of an airplane in the Atlantic Ocean.  _ AirFrance 0139 crashes 50 miles from the coast of Newfoundland _ . 0139, 0139...why did that sound familiar. AirFrance. Scott and Allison. It was then, his mind worked its way through the shock and went into overdrive. Scott and Allison were on flight 0139, but the article said that no one survived. That couldn’t be true; neither of them would leave Lily; she was their entire world. At the very least, Scott would survive the crash, he was an alpha, and he would bite Allison if it was a serious life or death situation. They had talked about this; Scott knew all of their wishes if it came down to life or death. The news had to have it wrong; they had to be alive. They had to be. Stiles could feel the panic attack settling in as his breaths became more shallow and frequent. Stiles sank to the kitchen floor, struggling to breathe and see his phone through the tears streaming down his face. The news had to be wrong; he couldn’t lose Scott; he needed his brother.

\------------ 

_ *Ring, Ring* _

“Whittemore and Associates, how may I direct your call? … Mr. Whittemore is in a meeting, I’d be happy to take a message for him. … Yes, I see, one moment, let me transfer you.” The receptionist knew this wasn’t a call that could wait for Jackson’s meeting to finish. It wasn’t until the third consecutive call that Jackson excused himself to see what could be so important. “I’m sorry, Mr. Whittemore, a representative from AirFrance, is requesting to speak with you about flight 0139.” Hearing those words, Jackson’s heart sank. “Put them through.” The call was brief and to the point. Jackson moved with purpose back into the conference room while packing his work bag. “I’m sorry, everyone, but I’m going to have to leave you in the capable hands of Boyd here. Something has come up that I have to attend to personally.” Boyd could feel the emotion coming off of his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. The two exchanged looks, and Boyd knew that he needed to pack and call Jackson once the meeting was over. Jackson was glad he chose to open his firm in San Francisco rather than LA right then. This trip home was not one he was looking forward to.

Not until he was packed and on the road did Jackson start making calls, beginning with Lydia. He knew that she was probably the first person to know what happened. Surprisingly his call went to voicemail; knowing better than to not leave a message, Jackson let his friend know that he was on his way to Beacon Hills. His next call was to Jordan, the one person who would probably know where everyone was affected by this tragedy. Thankfully he answered. “Sherrif’s department, this is Parrish.” Jackson could feel some of the tension leave his body, knowing he was able to reach someone. “Jordan, its Jax. Have you heard the news yet?” The silence was all the answer required. “..Ye..yeah. Noah and Melissa are here at the station with Lily. They’re inside processing.” Shit, that was one person unaccounted for. “What about Stilinski? Has anyone check on him to see if he knows?” The panic was evident in Jackson’s voice. It clicked with Jordan why he was asking. “No. Shit. I’ll call you back.” 

Jordan stuck his head inside and yelled. “Hale!” The deputy came running, knowing that tone of voice. “Cora, I need you to watch Lily. Stiles is alone, and we don’t know if he’s found out about the crash.” The horror was evident on the younger deputy’s face. “Go.” Was all she said as Jordan ran out to his cruiser, hit the lights and siren, and speed out of the parking lot.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Stiles has a panic/anxiety attack
> 
> Hope you all are enjoying this story so far, keep the kudos and comments coming! I've written up through chapter 6 so there is plenty more to come. Things are going to be a bit heavy for the next few chapters so please stick with me.
> 
> Love you all!

Jordan screeched to a stop in front of the Stilinski house and jumped out of his cruiser, heading directly for the garage keypad. When Stiles went to the Academy, he made sure Jordan knew how to get in the house if there was ever an emergency. Stiles and his father had very different ideas of emergencies most of the time. Still, Jordan was confident that finding out your best friend and his wife died in a horrific plane crash counted as one. “Stiles! Stiles, where are you?” Jordan ran into the house looking for the other man, finding him gasping for breath, muscles wound tight, sobbing on the kitchen floor. Jordan approached his friend, trying to get his attention to bring Stiles out of the panic attack. “Hey, Stiles, you with me?” Jordan asked, taking the other man’s hand and placing it on his chest. “Breathe with me; we need you to slow down and focus on breathing, Stiles.” 

Jordan took a few slow, careful breaths while counting, hoping Stiles would start to regulate independently. He really didn’t want to have to kiss Stiles if he could avoid it. Thankfully, it only took a few more breaths before Stiles seemed to be getting control back and slowly returning to the here and now. “I need to know, Stiles, are you physically hurt? Do I need to take you to the hospital?’ Stiles managed to shake his head “no” in reply, but Jordan could tell Stiles wasn’t going to be coming back from this without help. His usually expressive eyes were vacant, and his pupils were still blown wide open. “How about we get you something to eat and let you take a nap? How does that sound, Stiles?” All Stiles could manage was to cling to Jordan’s arm and nod slightly. It broke Jordan’s heart for the third time that day, seeing Stiles like this. “Ok, I’m going to stand up now, Stiles. Can you do that with me?” 

Jordan led Stiles to the table and got him settled. “I’m just going into the kitchen; you’ll be able to see me from here.” Stiles had yet to release Jordan’s arm from his grasp, holding on to the one thing in the real world that he was able to. Doing everything he could from slipping back into the darkness. Jordan knew that this wouldn’t be an easy process when he saw how far gone Stiles was when he arrived. He knew what he was walking into when he left the station. He had seen this more times than he cared to admit during his time in Afganistan. Jordan waited for Stiles to release his grip and signal it was ok for him to move into the kitchen. Knowing the physical touch helped ground Stiles, Jordan placed his free arm on his friend’s hand, letting the real world slowly come back to him. 

When Stiles felt safe enough to free Jordan from his grasp, the Sherrif took his phone out while looking in the fridge for something simple for Stiles to eat. Jordan sent a quick text to Jackson, letting him know that he was with Stiles and that it was pretty bad. The next was a call to Noah to let him know what was happening. “Hey, Sherrif. I’m at your place with Stiles now...no; Cora is with Lily. … I can’t talk long; I have to get back to Stiles; he didn’t take the news well; this was the worst panic attack I’ve seen since Afganistan. … Yeah, ok, if you need someone to drive you home, tell Cora. She’ll help you out. … Ok, bye.” 

Jordan ended the call and brought a cut up banana, some orange slices, a few crackers, and a glass of water over to the table. “Do you think you can eat some Stiles? It will help you feel better.” The blank stare haunted Jordan; he had lost friends in that stare; he was going to do everything he could to not lose Stiles too. Thankfully Stiles was more responsive than the friends he had lost, even if he was still non-verbal. Today was going to be a day of small victories, anything that could let the sun through the dark clouds of loss. Once Stiles had slowly started eating, Jordan pulled his phone back out to check on Lydia. She would probably be mad he hadn’t called her sooner but would be forgiven when he told her why. The call was brief, and he could tell his girlfriend had been crying; and he wished he could have been there to comfort her, but he had been the only one close enough and able to focus enough to fight this battle and save Stiles. 

Jordan could tell that Stiles was done eating when he saw his head bob, trying to stay awake. “Ok, let’s get you up to bed so you can take a nap.” Stiles waited for Jordan to move, not wanting to lose the one touchstone he had at the moment. Jordan held out his hand for Stiles to lead him up the stairs and into the guest room. Putting Stiles in bed was when Jordan realized that he wasn’t going to go anywhere. Not because if Stiles woke up and found Jordan missing, he would probably have another panic attack, but because he was still clinging to his arm. “I’m going to make a quick phone call, then I’ll be right here by your side. I’m not going to leave you.” Stiles settled in the bed, holding Jordan’s arm while the Sherrif called the station and let them know it was likely he wouldn’t be back in that day. 

\--------

Noah, Melissa, and Lily made their way home and found Jordan’s cruiser parked in front of the house. “Looks like Lily is ready for a nap after spending the morning with the dogs,” Cora said as she walked up behind the Stilinskis. “Thank you, Cora.” Before Noah could say anymore, she stopped him. “No, no need to thank me, and not because it’s part of the job, but it’s the least I could do for you. You were there for Derek and me, and I want you to know that I’m here for you too.” Noah brought Cora in for a hug while he fought the fresh wave of tears back. “We better get in there and see if the sheriff or Melissa need any help.” Noah let go of Cora and followed her in, hoping Jordan had made it to Stiles before things got too bad. Melissa took her granddaughter up to her and Noah’s room to lay down and take a nap together, at Noah’s insistence. She might still be a nurse, but right now, she was emotionally exhausted and needed to rest more than she needed to check on Stiles. He reminded his wife that Jordan would have taken him to the hospital if Stiles needed medical attention. Satisfied with his answer and too tired to argue, Melissa agreed and joined her granddaughter for a nap. 

About an hour after they arrived home, Jackson, accompanied by Lydia, knocked on the door. The two exchanged pleasantries with Noah and Cora while trying to come to terms with the events of the day. “Jackson, I want to thank you for thinking to call Jordan today. If you hadn’t, I don’t want to think about how much worse shape Stiles could have been in before we were able to see past our own grief.” Jackson tried to play it off as nothing, but everyone knew that he and Stiles had grown during Stiles’ first year in LA after the Academy. To change the mood some, Noah made small talk with Lydia and Jackson about their lives and work. It was all surface-level conversation that filled the time until Jackson excused himself to take a call. Jackson walked back inside, looking more tired than when he walked out. “Boyd and Erica will be coming tonight with the wills and documents to start any custody paperwork for Lily. I’m sorry to bring this up, but it will be better to get custody sorted out sooner rather than later. It will give Lily more stability right now.” It took a toll on Jackson to try and remain business right now. No, he had never gotten incredibly close to Scott or Allison, but there were still friends. 

The group looked over as they heard someone coming down the stairs to see a rumpled Sherriff join them. Jordan sat down next to Lydia, holding her tight, to support her and let her know that he was here for her. “I should probably head back up incase Stiles wakes up. He let go of my arm, so I took advantage and made a break for the restroom and heard your voices down here.” Before Jordan could stand up, Jackson moved and placed his hand on Jordan’s shoulder, “you stay here; I’ll take a shift with Stilinski.” Jackson placed a kiss on Lydia’s head and walked up the stairs to the guestroom. 

Jackson took his shoes off, got in the bed next to Stiles, sat with his back against the headboard, and picked up his tablet. If Stiles wasn’t awake yet, he could at least get some work done while he waited. He opened the files Boyd sent him for the McCall estate and started going over the names of beneficiaries and the various contact numbers Allison left to reach her father in a case like this. Jackson sent the numbers to his assistant and told him to prioritize any other task he was working on, and let him know once he got ahold of Chris Argent. With that out of the way, Jackson continued down the list of names to see if everyone relevant had been contacted yet, only to be surprised by one name on the list -- Derek Hale. Jackson had forgiven Derek for his shortcomings as alpha and for his brutal, uncaring training sessions. Still, he was surprised that Scott would have listed him as a beneficiary in his will. Jackson opened his email and sent a note off to Derek telling him to call as soon as he got this as it was for a legal matter they needed to discuss.

Jackson could hear the change in his friend’s heartbeat and breathing and put his tablet down. Stiles blinked a few times, slowly putting together the events leading to him getting in bed. If you throw up on me again, I’m going to throw you out the window Stilinski.” Jackson said, smiling at his friend. Stiles rolled onto his back and half-buried his face under a pillow, “that was one time. We were 20, and you took me to that frat party.” Jackson laughed at the memory while Stiles groaned. “For real Stiles, how are you feeling? I’m not talking about everything that has happened today; I mean you. Physically, how are you?” Jackson may put on the façade of the douche-jock, but it was just how he protected himself. When he was with his friends, he could be his true self. “I probably need to eat and get some water in me, but the worst has passed.” Stiles moved to get out of bed, only for Jackson to quickly move to make sure his friend had his balance before letting him go. “Thanks, Jax.” Stiles smiled at his friend and pulled him up off the bed. 

\----

After the mess with landing on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, Derek decided to listen to his sister and settle down someplace quiet and find a home. Derek had put out the word that he was looking to settle near one of the larger packs in California or Southern Oregon. He didn’t need to join any of them, he had his pack -- Cora, and that was enough for him. Every time he tried to be part of a pack, something went wrong, and the people around him ended up getting hurt. Being one of the few remaining Hales opened doors for Derek in the were community. A pack along the Western edge of Yosemite had offered him a place in their community and respected his wishes to not join the pack. As a community member, Derek was essentially granted the same rights as any human member of the pack. Derek helped contribute by operating a small farm with a few different fruits and vegetables and raising a small flock of chickens for the eggs. 

It was late in the evening before Derek walked back into the cabin he had been calling home. Landing on the couch before he started to think about what he was going to do for dinner, Derek decided to check his phone and see what he had missed while he was out working. He had a few text messages from friends he had made in the community asking if he would attend the Full Moon run later that week. Nothing terribly crucial that couldn’t wait until after dinner, so he moved on to his email. A few orders for cherries and other fruits that would be ready soon, and then one email that caught his attention, one from Jackson’s work account.

To:  [ derek@halefarms.com ](mailto:dhale@halefarms.com)

From:  [ JWhittemore@whittmoreassoc.com ](mailto:Jwhittemore@whittmoreassoc.com)

Subject: Urgent - Call me

Hi Derek,

Need to talk to you as soon as you get this. I’ll be in BH, so call my cell.

415.555.1212

Jackson

  
  


Derek checked his messages to ensure he didn’t miss anything from Cora that he should know about but didn’t see anything. So he did the only logical thing, he called Jackson.

“This is Jackson,” he answered his cell, not recognizing the number right away. “Hey Jackson, it's Derek; what’s up? Your email said it was urgent.” Derek could tell from the sigh Jackson let out that things were bad. “I’m sorry to have to break the news to you, but Scott and Allison died this morning in a plane crash. I need you to come to Beacon Hills because you’re listed as a beneficiary in the will. I don’t know in what capacity it’s a sealed will, but they gave a list of people that needed to be present when it was opened.” 

Derek was silent; he wasn’t sure he could believe what Jackson was telling him. “Derek, are you there?” Jackson’s voice pulled him out of his shock, “um, yeah, yeah. Sorry, I’m here. I’ll head in tomorrow, will that be ok?” Jackson could tell that Derek was taking the news a lot harder than he expected, but the man had always kept his emotions locked away, so it was hard to tell what he really thought. 

Stiles had been the only one in their group that was able to get any sort of reaction out of Derek, even if it was just to slam him against the nearest blunt object to make him shut up. “Yeah, tomorrow is just fine; everyone listed should be here except for Chris; we haven’t been able to get a hold of him yet, but we need to open the will so we can figure out what to do about custody. We’re meeting at Stilinski’s house at 1pm. See you tomorrow Derek.” Derek ended the call and set his phone down, and buried his face in his hands. Two more people associated with him were dead; even though he knew it wasn’t his fault, it was still hard to cope with. Was he cursed, or did he just have the worst luck in life with friends and family? Having lost his appetite, Derek quickly responded to the messages he had and let the team that helped him with the farm know he was heading out of town for a few days.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Friends, sorry this is a little later than I intended, today. There aren't any trigger warnings for this chapter. 
> 
> Hope you are all enjoying the story so far! Let me know your thoughts!

Derek woke up the next morning at 4am like always, ready for another day of hard yet rewarding work. Not many people can say they could make a living from their hobby, but Derek was doing just that. Unfortunately, Derek’s morning bliss was shattered as his brain began running down a list of things that needed to be done before he left for Beacon Hills and why he was going. He was awake now, so he might as well get ready to leave so he could avoid what traffic there was heading into Beacon Hills. The drive took just over two hours, so Derek had plenty of time to kill before the meeting at 1pm.

It had been a while since Derek had been to Beacon Hills, as Cora always came out to see him, so he decided to drive downtown and see what had changed in the last 10 years. The downtown district had received a significant overhaul, and the main street was closed to all vehicle traffic now. As it was still early, Derek had no problems finding a prime parking spot and began exploring the new DTBH as it was branded. Most of the shops were still closed, but that didn’t stop Derek from browsing their windows and following his nose to a café that smelled of freshly baked pastries. Derek had no trouble finding the café. Even without his enhanced senses, the heavy foot traffic of customers flowing in and out of the establishment was easy to spot. The queue moved quickly for how busy it was in the cafe. Derek ordered a large caffe latte and the largest berry danish he had ever seen and found a table on the patio take in some morning people-watching. Derek forgot how much enjoyed city life, watching the people go about their business. Being able to blend is just another face. Derek also knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to decline moving back to a city full time if given a choice.

Derek was about to leave when a familiar voice called out to him. “Good Morning Derek; it’s nice to see you; I wasn’t expecting you until the memorial service.” He was glad Deaton couldn’t smell emotions, but Derek never could tell what the vet/druid was capable of; he wasn’t sure any really did except for Deaton. “Deaton,” he managed to choke out as pleasantly as possible; after all, it has been more than 10 years since they had any interaction. “Lydia called and asked me to come in early, said she wanted my help.” Seeming to accept the lie, the vet nodded, “Yes, Ms. Martin does have that effect on people, doesn’t she? I can only guess that the help she needs is with Mr. Stilinski. The sheriff came by asking for some sedatives for him yesterday evening.” That seemed out of character for Stiles’ father to want to sedate his son. Still, it was probably more comfortable than letting his mind run overdrive. “Thanks for the heads up, doc. I’ll be sure to see how he’s doing when I head over. Still, on that note, I’m running a little late..” Deaton acknowledged the situation Derek was in, “yes, it’s best not to keep Ms. Martin waiting, isn’t it? Take care, Derek.” They exchanged good-byes, and Derek went in and picked up some coffee beans and assorted pastries for everyone. Having to worry about one less mundane thing could be a blessing when grieving. 

\----

Morning in the Stilinski house was very different from the previous day. Melissa and Noah were the first to descend to the kitchen, as usual, and began looking for something that would work to keep coffee hot while they made a second pot. Caffeinating three extra people, plus Stiles, was not an easy task. It appeared that Jordan had stayed the night with Lydia in the guest room, as the couple descended not long after their hosts. Even fresh out of bed, Lydia managed to make one of Jordan’s Army t-shirts and boxers look couture. 

On the other hand, Jordan looked like most of the men that walked through the doors of the Stilinski home in the morning. Melissa was first to greet the two and offer coffee, walking to the kitchen to get two mugs. “Just one for Jordan, please,” Lydia replied, “I’ve ordered a light breakfast to be delivered; it should be here soon.” It never ceased to amaze either Melissa, Noah, or Jordan, at how Lydia could accomplish so much in such a short amount of time.

There was a knock at the door that generally, Noah would have found odd at 8:30am, but Lydia did say she had ordered breakfast. She sent Jordan to collect the delivery and set up in the dining room while she announced that she would be waking Stiles and Jackson up. Not bothering to knock on the door, Lydia strode into Stiles’ old bedroom to find not much had changed since high school. The posters were gone, as was his corkboard, and the bed was larger, not that it would have mattered with both Jackson and Stiles huddled up next to the wall. Lydia approached the bed, knowing both occupants were not morning people, grabbed the blanket and pulled it off the bed. Both men woke, startled at the sudden loss of the blanket. “Now that I have your attention, it’s time to wake up. There is food and coffee downstairs. I expect you both down in 15 minutes.” Stiles attempted to protest about being rudely woken up. “What if one or both of us was naked under here, Lyds?” She could only roll her eyes as she turned around to face him, “It wouldn’t have been the first time. Now put on something decent, and get downstairs.” The two men looked at each other, and Stiles motioned for Jackson to use the restroom first.

Just as Jackson and Stiles descended for breakfast, Jackson narrowed his eyes at the door and opened it. “Guess you decided to drive in before the morning commute. Come in, Lydia ordered food, but I’m sure she will thank you for the additions.” After years of living around weres, Noah had stopped looking confused when someone opened the door before there was a knock. Derek exchanged pleasantries with everyone in the home but felt like he was intruding rather than an invited guest. Yes, he was four hours early, but seeing everyone so casual was something he wasn’t used to for this group. His memories usually included at least one of them battered from fighting or throwing his shortcomings in his face. Which was even more confusing to Derek why he would be listed as a beneficiary in Scott and Allison’s will. 

“Sorry for showing up so early; I’ve gotten used to starting my day pretty early; I hope I’m not intruding here.” Derek wasn’t questioning if he was expected, but more if he was welcome. Of the people in the room that he knew, Melissa was probably the one that came closest to liking him; the others had all made their feelings well known. Lydia, the unofficial spokesperson for the group, let Derek know that it was understandable arriving early under the circumstances. They could help him book a room at the Beacon Hills Hotel if he didn’t intend to stay with his sister. Accepting Lydia’s offer of help, Derek joined the remains of the McCall pack for breakfast. Stiles could tell this was going to be a wonderful morning. The last thing he wanted was to spend any time more than needed around Derek Hale.

There was a time that Stiles would have considered Derek a friend, maybe something more, but that all started to change when Stiles joined the FBI. Derek had done something that day that he wasn’t proud of - he used Stiles to get the FBI to stop following him. He knew how Stiles reacted to having his pain taken away, and he was able to get a “drugged up” Stiles to vouch for his character to the senior agent on the case. Usually, this would have been something that wouldn’t have been an issue, but Derek Hale was a werewolf, and those were a new variable to The Bureau. So when news of this made its way up the chain of command, Stiles was at the center of a possible scandal, and he was still at the academy, so when the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation called Stiles to his office, he knew he was royally fucked. 

Rather than being kicked out of the Bureau, Stiles was offered an entry-level support position in the newly formed Supernatural Investigations Division. Stiles knew that this was a way for the agency to keep tabs on a possible person of interest and use a well-informed asset. While this bothered Stiles, he knew that he would have to start someplace and prove himself if he wanted a law enforcement career. So he doubled down and proved to his superiors what he was capable of doing. After years of hard work, Stiles was the Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the department. 

Seeing Stiles for the first time in ten years, Derek was bombarded with a mix of emotions, guilt being the strongest of them. He also missed the friend that Stiles was becoming before he ruined that. Knowing that he wasn’t going to have many opportunities to try and start the healing process, Derek took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen where Stiles was filling his coffee mug. Stiles’ naturally warm, cinnamon eyes hardened to a cold, hate-fueled umber brown “Derek.” The void of emotion in Stiles’ voice chilled Derek to the bone and caused Lydia to worry for her friend.  _ That _ voice was one no one wanted to hear come out of Stiles again. Derek was knocked back mentally from where he started, he had gone into the kitchen to talk to Stiles, but he wasn’t sure if that was the best idea anymore. His wolf was telling him to get out of there, to get far away from whatever it is Stiles had become.

“I..um wanted to see how you...uh, were doing.” Articulate as ever Hale, he thought to himself. Now not only did this apex predator Stiles have him in his sights, but he saw a babbling wounded pup. Derek’s wolf kept urging him to get away, but before he could make any more of an embarrassment of himself, Jackson came into the kitchen looking like he had seen a ghost. “Stiles,” Jackson said calmly, trying to get his attention, “how about you come out here and get something to eat, how does that sound?” The interaction confused Derek on several levels. First, when did Stiles scare Jackson, and two, when did they become friends? It just furthered Derek’s belief that he had no business being here today.

\------

Jackson explained what he knew (which wasn’t very much) about the McCall’s will and the instructions they had left behind in the event they should both die. “Boyd and Erica should be arriving around noon with the will, and with any updates on if they were able to contact Chris, until then, we have the morning to ourselves.” The morning progressed as normally as it could with the influx of visitors in the home. Jordan and Lydia left to get ready for the day at his apartment while Jackson remained at the Stilinski house since it was too early to check into his hotel room. Derek attempted to make himself useful and offered to help Melissa clean up the kitchen while Stiles and Lily played in the living room half-watching Sesame Street. 

Sensing that Derek was feeling out of place, Melissa accepted his help and took the chance to hopefully help him feel less unwelcome. She knew everyone except Jordan had a low opinion of the man. Still, She always tried to help in his own dysfunctional way. “So, Derek, did you have a long drive in, we haven’t heard much from you in the last ten years or so.” Melissa was right, Derek had been out of touch with Beacon Hills, but that was on purpose; so much of what happened here had left him scarred emotionally. He could only think of two times in the last ten years that he had been back. Cora’s graduation from the Beacon County police academy and her 25th birthday. 

“It wasn’t too bad; it’s about a two-hour drive, three if traffic is bad. When that Monroe woman let the world know about weres and the supernatural, it seemed like the people here had things handled. Scott and his pack had things under control.” It was a lame excuse, and Derek knew it, but it was the answer he was going to give. “I found a community of wolves to live with, and it’s a nice life; I have a small farm and grow a good portion of the produce for the community.” Melissa could tell by the change in his tone and stance how much Derek must enjoy that life; he was much more relaxed talking about it than anything about Beacon Hills. 

\-----

By 12:30, everyone had returned; Boyd and Erica were in Beacon Hills but had stopped to book a room at the hotel. Aunty Lidia had taken Lily up for a nap hoping to make things marginally easier on the adults downstairs when Jackson opened the will. Their attempts to reach Chris were mixed; they had numbers that would ring with no answer and some that were disconnected. No one was sure if the disconnected numbers were actually dead or if he just had them set that way to record numbers trying to call him. Either way, with custody of Lily in question, they didn’t have the option of waiting for Chris to respond; if they needed to find him for custody, they would cross that bridge when they came to it. Lydia had come back from putting Lily down for a nap shortly after Boyd and Erica arrived, and greetings were exchanged. With the last two people needed, Jackson transitioned into attorney mode. He began the process of reading The Last Will and Testament of Scot and Allison McCall. 

“I have to disclose to you all that Scott and Allison did not have anyone at my firm draft their will. It was received by us just like this. Sealed in an envelope with a list of names and last known contact information listed. This will be the first time Boyd, Erica, or I am seeing what is in the envelope.” With that, everyone took their seats, and Jackson broke the seal on the manila envelope and pulled out the will. The first few pages detailed their wishes for their business interests with the Vet Clinic Scott had bought Deaton out, instructions for closing down Allison’s Import/Export business she started with both her father and Peter Hale out of the picture. There were instructions on how to transition any money from a temporary trust to pay final expenses and bills, to place it in a trust for, Lily and instructions to not make it available until she was 18 and graduated high school. 

Jackson had made it to the pages that had brought this group of people together, the bequests of the McCalls. The items being left to friends and family were all expected. Allison’s weapons mostly went to Lydia, except for some of the silver weapons made by Argents were split between Lily and Chris. Scott left the expected items to Stiles, comics, and mementos from their lives together. After everything had been given a new home, including some of the rare herbs Allison had found left to Derek, they reached the section detailing their wishes for Lily’s custody.

“It is our wish that our daughter, Lily Melissa McCall, should remain with our family and friends in the event we both pass before her 18th birthday. After much discussion, we have decided that it will be best if she be taken into full, dual-custody of the two people we feel will have her best interest and well being at heart.” Jackson paused, looking around the room to make sure everyone was present before he continued reading. “I, Scott Gregorio McCall, choose my best friend and brother, M. “Stiles” Stilinski, as the first guardian to raise my daughter in the event of our untimely passing.” This wasn’t a surprise to anyone in the room, Lily loved her uncle, and he loved her just as much. “I,  [ Celestine ](https://twitter.com/willwritesgood/status/808525015347924993?s=20) Allison McCall, choose Derek Hale as the second guardian for our daughter. I know that Derek will be fiercely protective of her while being able to help with her needs growing up and embracing her heritage.”

This was a bomb that nobody expected, least of all Derek, to be dropped on them, especially by Allison. She had tried to kill him the most out of anyone they knew, excluding Kate, that is. Derek sat stunned and stared at Stiles, someone who hated him if their last interaction was anything to go off. Derek had cost Stiles a career in law enforcement. The last thing Stiles had said to Derek after the FBI incident was how stupid he had been for thinking Derek had changed, that he was being called in by the director to discuss his actions and affiliation with a person on the Most Wanted list. There was no way this could work; how could it? He lived in a community of werewolves, and Stiles lived...Derek didn’t even know where, but he was sure that the last place Stiles wanted to live was in the middle of nowhere on a farm with him.

Derek had to talk to Jackson about this; there had to be something he could do to void Allison’s wishes. His criminal record (despite having it all voided), being a person of interest in a federal investigation. His personal life choices, they all knew he wasn’t fit to raise a child. His own sister would vouch for that and probably tell them it was a miracle he was able to take care of himself. No, this couldn’t happen. Especially not with Stiles; they would kill each other within the first week. From the look on Stiles’ face, he was thinking the same thing. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to be bound to the one person who had brought so much pain and suffering to everyone in the room. Stiles still had a small scar on his forehead when Derek smashed his head into his jeep’s steering wheel. That was not the behavior of a person suitable to be raising a child.

Poor Jackson, everyone could see that he was thinking what a shit show this was going to be, and he was the one stuck facilitating it. He was the one that was going to have to go to court and present the will and custody paperwork to the judge and bring these two idiots with him. It would be a miracle if he could get through the hearing without one of them doing something stupid. At times like this, he wished he had stayed in London, but deep down, he knew that he would never give up on his friends. This is why, despite their differences, Jackson was going to honor Scott and Allison’s wish for their daughter to be co-parented by Stiles and Derek. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm a day late everyone. Things have been a bit crazy for me of late. I was evacuated from my home due to the fires in California, but I am back home and everything is ok. It was just a little smokey for a few days.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“I’m sorry what. I must have heard you wrong, Jax. Allison wants me to co-parent Lily with... _ him _ ?!” The venom in Stiles’ voice, combined with the look of total loathing aimed directly at Derek, was enough to make the werewolf flinch. Everyone else in the room looked at Stiles as if he was a ticking timebomb with seconds left on the clock. There was this strange scent coming from Stiles, the closest description that Derek could give it was - cold. Stiles smelled cold, like a dark winter night in the depths of a remote forest. This wasn’t like a typical scent, that was part of a person; this was radiating from Stiles, filling the room like an invisible mist. This was twice today that Derek had been the cause of some frightening behavior from Stiles. There was no way they could co-parent Lily. Derek wasn’t even sure he would make it out of the Stilinksi house alive right now.

Lydia was the first to break the brief silence after Stiles’ outburst. “Stiles, think about it. Derek is the only person, except for Peter, who has any experience raising a born wolf. Before you even say it, Cora was too young.” Stiles didn’t respond, not verbally, at least. He locked eyes with Lydia, those cold, unfeeling, umber eyes. But, Lydia didn’t flinch. She met his glare and held it. It was a tense few moments until Stiles broke the stare and crossed his arms. “And you,” Lydia turned to lock eyes with Derek, “you, will  _ not _ give us any of your ‘I’m cursed, anyone that gets near me suffers’ bullshit.” Stunned by Lydia turning to address him, Derek composed himself and bowed deeply. Satisfied that Stiles and Derek understood this was happening, Lydia gestured to Jackson to explain the next steps in finalizing the custody paperwork so he could file it with the courts.

Jackson always thought his parent's marriage was dysfunctional, but that was nothing compared to getting these two to spend any time together. “Okay, now that that’s out of the way, we should probably take a break before working out the details of your new lives.” More like Jackson wasn’t sure he had the mental fortitude to tackle any more of this mess right now. Especially when Stiles’ emotions had him standing so close to the edge of the abyss. That was something that Derek was going to have to be told about, and Jackson wasn’t looking forward to facilitating that conversation. “Why don’t those of us who need to check-in to their hotel room go and do that. Lydia, Erica, do you mind if I borrow your boyfriends for a bit, I think we need some bro time for Stiles this afternoon.” The women both excused their partners from any responsibilities they had to go off with Jackson and Stiles.

Sensing the meeting was at an end, Derek began to collect himself. He attempted to say goodbye to Noah and the women who remained behind but had trouble finding the words. Instead, he asked where everyone had gone with Stiles. “Oh, ‘bro time’? In this instance, it means they are probably going to the gym that Noshiko opened a few years back. It’s a safe way for Stiles to let things out.” That didn’t sound ominous. Why would stiles need to go to a gym run by a kitsune to “let things out”? Did it have to do with the way his scent changed, how uneasy he seemed to make everyone feel? Lydia didn’t seem like she would be giving any answers, and he realized, why would she tell him? He was the outsider here now; it didn’t matter that Beacon Hills had been Hale territory for hundreds of years, and still was. Melissa walked Derek to the door, thanked him for coming, and reassured him that Jackson would be in touch to sort custody for Lily. 

\----

The four men were greeted by Noshiko as they entered the gym; she immediately approached Stiles and embraced him. “I was devastated to hear the news; let me know if there is anything we can help with.” Stiles smiled and returned the hug. “But, I think I know why you boys are here today,” the ancient kitsune said, looking Stiles over. “Go and change; I’ll open one of the private studios.” The men thanked Noshiko and went to the locker room to change. When they emerged, they found the kitsune waiting to escort them to one of the reinforced studios intended for her non-human members. While it was not common knowledge that Noshiko was supernatural, it was well known that her gym catered to that community. “When you boys finish, come and join me for tea and we can catch up.” Noshiko allowed the door to close behind her as she left the men to work out their frustrations.

Jackson could take the beating Stiles needed to inflict to burn through his suppressed emotions. Still, he knew from experience that his friend would be racked with guilt for days if he took all the punishment. Thankfully, Boyd and Jordan understood what needed to be done and were willing to help their friend. Jackson knew how to get Stiles to let go and release the pent-up energy simmering just under the surface, and he made the first move to get Stiles to release. It was the first time Stiles had started the descent down into the abyss that he and Jackson solidified their friendship, and the first time Jackson had seen what became of the spastic nerd he remembered. 

\--Queue Flashback Music--

It was the summer after Stiles had been sent home for the summer by the FBI director after the disastrous raid involving Derek Hale. The anger and hurt he felt at being used by someone he trusted had been slowly eating away at him for weeks. Sensing that something needed to be done, Lydia had informed Stiles that he would be joining her, Jackson, and Ethan for a reunion lunch at her house. Not seeing a way out of attending, he reluctantly agreed, telling himself that he did need to get out and do something. He needed to find something to take his mind off being sent home anyhow. Stiles had become adept at hiding his emotions to keep his father worrying too much about him, but Lydia could see through the facade. When he arrived, Jackson and Ethan were out by the pool while Lydia was supervising the catering team setting up their buffet. Lydia handed Stiles a drink and sent him out back to tell the others that the food would be ready soon. 

From the few interactions Jackson had with Stiles since returning from London, he could tell that Stiles wasn’t the same spastic kid he remembered; something had changed, but all anyone would say was “Ask Stiles” when he tried to find out. On the other hand, Ethan wasn’t particularly fond of Stiles, and no one could blame him too much. Stiles never gave the twins the credit they deserved during high school. While Jackson wanted to know how Lydia became involved with Stilinski and his crowd of misfits, Ethan wanted him to go away.

“Hey, guys. Lydia says food is just about ready.” Jackson could smell that something was wrong with Stiles, he wasn’t sick, but there was something. He smelled...cold. Shaking his head, Jackson got off the lounge chair he had been tanning and greeted Stiles on his way into Lydia and the food. Ethan chose to withhold his greeting and shouldered Stiles into the doorframe on his way past. Choosing to be the bigger person, Stiles ignores the wolf and follows him into the living room where Lydia had the food set out. “So, Jackson, why did you come back to Beacon Hills? Was it too cold for your lizard blood?” Of course, Stiles would tease Jackson about that, trust him to make a jock about a touchy subject. “He got accepted to UCLA; he intends to make a name for himself. One that doesn’t involve flunking out.” Ethan sneered as he looked at Stiles, making sure the last words hit their mark.

Jackson noticed the difference between this Stiles and the one he knew. Yes, he was still a smart ass, but the old Stiles would have had a comeback to Ethan’s jab. Trying to diffuse the tension in the room, Jackson took the opportunity to speak up. “I never did thank you, Stiles, for what you did. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, and despite our differences, you’re a good person.” Stiles wasn’t sure what to make of this new Jackson; he was sure this was a trap. Any moment now, he was going to whip out his tail and dose him with kanima venom. Lydia smacked Stiles on the arm, “This is where you say thank you.” Stiles shook himself out of his thoughts and let Jackson know that it was nothing; it was the right thing to do to help him out. 

Ethan brought the conversation back to Jackson’s admission to UCLA and how they “practically begged” him to join the swim team. “I guess you never lost the need to follow, have you, Ethan? Jackson may not be an alpha, but you sure need to feel like someone else is in control.” Lydia looked to Jackson, signaling that if things went south, to hold Ethan back and she would deal with Stiles. “You’d know all about not being in control, wouldn’t you, little fox?” A fox, is that what that scent on Stiles was? Did he get bit by a werefox? Jackson was too lost in his thought, trying to pinpoint what that cold scent was he could smell on Stiles to pay attention to the verbal battle going on around him. “You’re just jealous that I didn’t have to kill everyone I knew to get my fluffy tail.” Ethan saw his opening and went in for the kill. “We did what we had to, to escape years of abuse. You can’t even be trusted to keep your pet hunter safe.”

That did it. Ethan pushed the button to send Stiles over the edge. Reminding him that he almost killed Allison, that it was his fault, she spent nearly a month in the hospital recovering from the wounds he inflicted. Faster than anyone could see, Stiles was across the sitting area and held Ethan off the floor by his neck. Lydia blinked, convinced she saw things. It looked like the shadows swirled around Stiles in the shape of a wolf. No, not a wolf, not with that tail. A fox. They all thought Stiles was joking about being a fox, but here she was looking at a shadow version of Kira’s fox. What brought Lydia back to the present was the bone-chilling voice that came from Stiles. She  _ knew _ that voice. One word echoed in her head.  _ Nogitsune _ . Before the fox could do anything more, Lydia grabbed one of the bronze bookends off the coffee table and hit Stiles with it. 

Lydia ran to dig her phone out of her purse, ignoring Ethan and Jackson. “Scott, get everyone here now. It’s Stiles; I think the nogitsune is back, bring Noshiko.” Jackson was worried that Lydia is panicking about something back, while his boyfriend is still on the floor with bruises on his neck from whatever that thing had done to him. “Lydia, what the fuck just happened.” She couldn’t push this conversation off anymore and say it was Stiles’ story to tell now. Jackson had a right to know what was going on. Lydia sighed. “I’ll tell you once everyone gets here, but for now, it would be best if he’s not here when Stiles wakes up,” Lydia said, gesturing towards Ethan. “Oh, that won’t be a problem because he won’t be waking up.” Ethan extended his claws and went in for the kill swiping at Stiles’ exposed neck. Ethan smiled as he felt his claws connect with flesh and felt the warm wet blood cover his fingers. 

It wasn’t until he heard Jackson roar in pain and felt a slash across the back of his neck. Ethan looked confused, then disgusted at Jackson. Slurring his words as the kanima venom began to work, Ethan looked Jackson in the eye. “You saved him when he tried to kill me? Whose side are you on?” It wasn’t until Ethan had slumped to the floor that Jackson responded. “I owe him for saving my life, and if Lydia has a plan, then I’m going to follow her lead.” Jackson walked away from his boyfriend’s paralyzed body to offer whatever help Lydia needed with moving Stiles.

That was the day Jackson learned that Stiles was the only one who would truly understand what he went through as the kanima. Stiles knew what it was like to have memories of things his body did that he could not control. To know it wasn’t his fault, but know how difficult it was to separate the two realities. Because Stiles needed someone that could relate to what he went through, Jackson stayed to give Stiles the help he desperately wished he had. Running away to London was a bandaid on a much larger wound, one Jackson didn’t realize was still open on his soul. One that he knew Stiles had, and one that only together could they heal. 

Ethan did not take the news that his boyfriend would be staying in Beacon Hills until the quarter started at UCLA to help Stiles get the help he desperately needed. Ultimately, it turned out that Stiles’ jab about Ethan’s needs was close to the mark. He didn’t love Jackson; he loved the idea of Jackson. No, he wasn’t an alpha wolf, but he was an alpha hybrid; that was the reason Ethan stayed. When Jackson realized this, he gave Ethan the option of walking away or to work together to make something real out of their relationship. It was late that night that Stiles found Jackson, alone, crying in Lydia’s backyard. Instead of leaving him alone, Stiles sat down next to Jackson and put his arm around him. They may have hated each other growing up, but Jackson needed someone to be there for him, and Stiles would never abandon his friends in a time of need.


	6. Chapter 6

Time flew over the next few days. Jackson and Boyd were kept busy with the legal aspects of the McCall estate and establishing the necessary trust accounts, while Lydia and Melissa were focused on arranging the service. Noah spent as much time at the station as possible, keeping out of the way of the planning while Erica was left in charge of Stiles and Lily. Stiles didn’t need a full-time watcher, but Catwoman was there for Batman when he needed that little bit of help or a kick in the ass. Whichever she felt would be more beneficial at the time.

The McCall pack had planed two separate gatherings to celebrate the lives of Scott and Allison. The first would take place that afternoon and be open to the broader friends of both the McCall and Argent families that could attend. The second would be a private gathering for the pack that night, around the nemeton. Stiles wasn’t looking forward to the community gathering. These gatherings humans held were for the living, not the deceased. Sure,some would genuinely be mourning, but most would attend to be seen attending. Those were the people Stiles wanted nothing to do with. Nor was he sure that he would make it through the event without having an anxiety attack and flashbacks to the last funeral he attended in this town. 

The “public” remembrance was held at one of the Hale owned properties that didn’t have a tenant renting it at the time. It allowed everyone to have the Stilinski home as a refuge, which was only about a block away if needed. Melissa’s friends from the hospital who had watched Scott grow up and saw him as an unofficial nephew were the first guests to arrive. Scott’s staff from the veterinary hospital weren’t far behind. The afternoon passed quickly as friends and acquaintances stopped in to offer their condolences and write down favorite memories in the guest book Lydia set out. Stiles kept himself busy playing with Lily and comforting her when she got overwhelmed from all the new faces coming to talk to her. This also served as an excuse for Stiles to step outside to have a moment without the bereaved offering well wishes. 

Erica, Jackson, and Lydia were all keeping an eye on Stiles during the remembrance, first to step in and help with Lily if needed. Second, to help Stiles if things got to be too much for him. They weren’t worried about him having a meltdown there; they were more concerned about his emotional stability in general, especially after the close call the other day. So nobody was surprised when Stiles took advantage of Lily’s nap time to take her back home and escape the event. He would need his rest if he was going to keep his emotions in check later that night at the nemeton.

\----- 

Jackson was the first to return to the Stilinski house after the public remembrance had ended. He was sent back with the leftover food from the event so it wouldn’t spoil. It also gave him a chance to check on his friend and make sure he had eaten something. Jackson arrived to find Stiles and Lily on the couch, eating cereal, and watching the Ewoks cartoon. It warmed Jackson’s cold, half reptilian heart to have a glimpse of the kind of father Stiles would be. It also broke his heart that his friend had to assume that role for Lily. “Lucy, I’m home!” Jackson called as he made his way to the dining room to set down the food containers before putting them away. Stiles asked if he could be in the show at the club, not wanting to miss a chance to tease back. It was nice to see some sort of normalcy in all the craziness that was their lives right now.

Reluctant to ruin the moment, Jackson sighed and reminded himself that he had a responsibility to Lily to uphold until the courts gave their final ruling. “I’m not any more excited to have ‘the talk’ with lame-fang anymore than you, but we need to do that tomorrow, Stiles.” Groaning in response, Stiles gave Lily a kiss on the head and got up to help Jackson put the food away. “Ugh, I know. Did they really have to pick him, though? I’m lucky to have a career after the shit he pulled.” Jackson understood his friend and wished there was more he could do to help. “Trust me, I get it. I don’t really want to do this either. Still, I’m contractually obligated to honor their wishes, even if I think you’d do fine without him.” It made Stiles feel better to hear those words, even if he knew how Jackson felt about Derek. Jackson had been the one to give honest support and not just tell Stiles what he wanted to hear. Knowing his friend was right, Stiles relented and agreed. “Just don’t expect me to be very friendly if you make me do this early in the morning." 

The evening progressed just as any other over the past fortnight had, except for the remains of the McCall pack getting ready to have one final remembrance for their fallen alpha. They had mixed feelings about bringing Lily but ultimately decided to, and they would just deal with a cranky toddler the next day. Just as they were loading their cars to make their way to the preserve, Deaton pulled up and walked up to Melissa and Lydia. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to offer assistance tonight for your gathering. I’m going to be retiring from the supernatural world and came to offer my service one last time to the Beacon Hills pack.” Lydia looked to Melissa, signaling they would support whatever decision she made. Melissa didn’t respond at first, having to remember this was for Scott and not about her. No, she didn’t particularly care for the man and his cryptic bullshit, but he did care; she couldn’t doubt that. “I think Scott would appreciate your offer; you’re welcome to join us, Alan.” The druid nodded his head in respect and walked back to his car.

\-----

When the pack arrived at the nemiton, they began setting up, nothing fancy but some torches for light and setting up a playpen for Lily. The pack shared memories of Scott and Allison, laughed and cried for their friends, and for their daughter, who wouldn’t get to know firsthand what fantastic people her parents were. As the night drew on, Deaton led the group in a druid prayer:

Go n-ardóidh an bóthar chun bualadh leat.

Go mbeadh an ghaoth i gcónaí ar do chúl.

Go maire an ghrian te ar d’aghaidh;

titeann na báistí go bog ar do pháirceanna agus go dtí go mbuailfimid arís,

go gcoinneoidh an Morrigan tú i dtearmann a láimhe.¹

Pausing for a moment after finishing the prayer, Deaton reached for a glass of  [ scotch ](https://www.glenfiddich.com/us/collection/product-collection/rare-and-vintage/50-year-old/) that was poured for a final toast. “To Scott and Allison.” The pack echoed, and they all drank. The wolves threw their heads back and gave one last, gut-wrenching howl for their fallen alpha and his wife, their friends. Lydia and the humans gave their best howl while Stiles let the fox come out and shared a howl with the wolves. The chorus was joined by two additional howls — one tiny and  [ adorable ](https://youtu.be/jFbWO-mxqFA) , the second familiar, yet foreign at the same time. As the pack wiped the tears from their eyes, regaining their composure, they all looked in the direction of the second, less adorable howl came from.

Walking into the light was the ruggedly handsome yet borderline insane zombie-wolf himself. “You didn’t think I would miss sending off my first beta, did you?” Sauntering to the group, he approached Melissa to offer his condolences to the grieving mother. They all watched Peter with suspicious eyes, waiting for the man to reveal his ulterior motive. They watched as Peter lifted the bottle of scotch and gave an approving nod, “may I join you?” If nothing else, Peter did respect the niceties. “You’re welcome to Peter,” Melissa responded, slightly perplexed on how the man had come across them in the middle of the woods at night. Almost as if sensing the unasked question, Peter just said, “Cora told me; I hope you don’t mind. I know we’ve had our differences; losing a beta is akin to losing your child. Something I had hoped to never experience again.” The last bit said more to the night than anyone present. 

Melissa gave Peter a hug, shocking everyone there, Peter, most of all. Everyone present knew the history of the Hale family and the unspeakable loss they endured. Melissa wasn’t going to tell a man who was feeling the sting of losing a child for the second time in his young life that he couldn’t grieve with the people who knew Scott the best. She had lost her firstborn, her baby boy. Peter had not only lost his first and only child but his first and only beta. That was a feeling she could sympathize with right then. Peter shook himself out of the shock, wrapped an arm around Melissa’s shoulder, and held her as he raised his glass to Scott and Allison McCall.

\------

The next day started late for the McCall pack; the remembrance had taken its toll emotionally. Melissa, especially, was glad they had so much food leftover from the memorial yesterday. The only thing Melissa was interested in making right then was coffee. She could use the pre-ground coffee that Noah would make coffee for himself, but Melissa decided she would get the grinder out and help everyone wake up. She smiled as a thud came from the living room. Walking into the room, she looked at the pile of blanket and limbs, struggling to find which way was up. “Good morning Peter, coffee?” The disgruntled wolf glared up at Melissa. “How did you end up on our couch and not Cora’s or in Derek’s hotel room?” Peter followed his tormenter to the kitchen and the coffee. “My dear nephew left before I could attempt to arrange accommodations, and Cora hasn’t quite forgiven me for the incident with her sister.” Nodding, Melissa offered Peter a mug for his coffee. “So, your relatives ditched you because you’re an asshole.” 

Jackson made his way down the stairs as Stiles complained about the blanket being pulled off the bed. “Who’s an asshole?” Jackson asked. “If memory serves me, that title is usually yours, Mr. Whittemore.” Jackson flipped off the older man on his way to the kitchen. “Your age must be affecting your memory.” Jackson ignored the wounded look Peter gave him as he pulled two mugs out of the cupboard and fixed himself one. 

“You’re making me deal with Moon-Moon today, but why do you hate me, Jax? Why are you subjecting me to Night of the Living V-Neck too?” Jackson laughed while Peter pondered his new name, while Stiles took his first sip of coffee. “Apparently, Peter is an asshole and got ditched by his relatives, so he ended up on your dad’s couch. I had nothing to do with this.” Melissa came to Peter’s defense calling the boys off their verbal assault of Peter, reminding them it’s not polite to speak ill of the dead. “So what time is Moon-Moon supposed to show up?” A knock at the door seemed to answer that question for Stiles as both Jackson and Peter motioned to the door, announcing the visitor.

Stiles opened the door and walked away, not bothering to interact with Derek. “It’s official; you hate me, Jax. No other explanation for creeper wolf and douche wolf at the same time before I’ve had a chance to finish my first cup of coffee.” Stiles petulantly marched to the living room and took up a spot in an armchair for the disaster that was about to befall him. Watching Derek stand in the doorway, unsure of what exactly was going on and why his uncle was in the Stilinski’s living room, Stiles motioned for the man to take a seat. “Might as well get this over with. Do you have everything you need, Jax?” Jackson picked up his tablet and moved to sit on the couch, physically separating Stiles from Derek.

“Well, as you both know, you were named as guardians in the McCall’s will, so try to remember that this is about Lily while we work out the details of the next 20 or so years of your lives.” It was like surround sound of misery for Jackson, stuck between to men that did not get along, and Peter, who took far too much delight in the pending war that would erupt. “So, first things first. Stiles, you live in LA, and Derek, you live someplace around here. We need to figure out where you’re going to live.” Jackson wasn’t starting light; he went straight for the kill on this. He knew Stiles loved living in the city and would do just about anything to avoid moving anywhere with a small-town vibe. 

Derek was the first to speak up and offer any sort of option. “Well, I have a business I run in the wolf community I live at. It could offer additional help with raising a young wolf. I was fairly young myself when any of the family had a pup around.” Jackson wasn’t expecting Derek to take a logical approach to this conversation. Still, it was a refreshing change from his usual scowl and eyebrow method of communication. “Absolutely not. No, nope. Not gonna happen.” Stiles hated the idea, naturally. “First, I can’t work from the Yellowstone pack’s territory, and secondly, there is no chance in hell they’ll let a SID special agent in without a warrant.” That got both Derek and Peter’s attention. Stiles worked with the FBI in the Supernatural Investigations Division? This just got a lot more complicated. “It’s bad enough that I have to make this work with Derek, but move me into a major wolf compound, and any credibility and trust I’ve built over the last ten years will be gone. I’ll be sent packing to the mailroom. If I’m lucky.”

Peter recovered from the bomb Stiles dropped first, trying to hide the worry in his voice. “You’re a special agent in the SID Stiles?” He turned and looked and looked at the panicked man, “Yes, and don’t worry. You’re not on any list in the department, although I’m sure you probably should be.” Derek, on the other hand, was still in shock. Considering that Stiles hadn’t arrested him, Derek presumed that he had been cleared of any charges that were levied against him. It also explained why he was so vehemently against moving to the Yellowstone pack’s territory. Peter offered the first compromise, which Jackson was grateful for. “Could you move to the Bay area, Stiles? Surely you could get a transfer to one of the FBI offices there.” Stiles didn’t immediately shut down the idea. He did enjoy the time he and Jackson went out in The Castro when he visited, and he would be closer to his friend. He would have someone to go to when things got out of hand with Derek and extra help with Lily. “That could possibly work.” Stiles finally replied I’ll have to check to see how quick that move could happen.” 

Now it was Derek’s turn to object to the location. “I’m supposed to just up and move four hours or more away from the business I’ve built the home I built to accommodate his job? What about mine? It’s unrealistic for me to drive four-plus hours - one way - every day just to get to my farm. What am I supposed to tell the Yellowstone pack that it’s just too bad they have to deal with it because I have to tuck my tail between my legs and just follow Stiles?” Derek couldn’t sit; still, he was up and pacing around the living room now. So much for the logical approach, Jackson thought to himself. Even if Derek did have a valid point. 

As Stiles and Derek entered their second hour of shouting at each other, Jackson had had enough. Derek had been half shifted for the last half hour, and Stiles had been surrounded by swirling shadows for about just as long, probably in response to the preserved threat of Derek’s wolf. When neither man responded to Jackson’s attempt to reel them in with his wolf, he decided it was time for more drastic measurements and slapped them both with his kanima tail. Clearly exhausted, Jackson looked down at the two men on the floor, “Now that I have your attention again, let’s work on solutions rather than just bitching at each other. I'm an attorney, not a therapist.” Stiles and Derek just glaired up at Jackson, and his kanima tail still waving about behind him. “Now, back to the matter of where the fuck are you assholes going to live.” Jackson sat back down on the couch and looked at Peter, who was clearly amused by the turn of events. “Since you’re the only one to have been useful, Peter, why don’t you and I work this out for them.” With his signature devilish grin, Peter Hale sat down next to Jackson on the couch, ready to rearrange two lives. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  
  
  


\--------

Translation:

May the road rise up to meet you. 

May the wind be always at your back. 

May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may The Morrigan hold you in the palm of her hand.


End file.
